Before he could say anything else, she turned on her heels and left.
15
Nicolas knew better than to poke Emily, the tigress, but he couldn’t help it. Her telling him to form his own opinion of her had irked him. It was like she was treating him like everybody else. He couldn’t understand why that had stung. He’d given up on trying anyway.
Now two months into their arrangement, he’d noticed a change. Like the way sunlight got brighter as winter faded into spring. Something that made him warm…comfortable.
He loathed it.
He despised the way she made his walls fall. The way his tongue acted before his head. Just like it had done a few minutes ago.
Nicolas ran a hand over his face. Why had he told her about his family? His past?
David had informed him of the background check she’d done. An attempt to uncoverhissecrets.
And he’d let her.
He’d let her see the sides of him no one else could.
Except for one side.
She probably just wanted to know if he was a hiddenserial killer or something, but that could be arranged because Nicolas truly wanted to bury this side of himself.
He’d seen that look on her face when talking about her past. It was haunting. And he’d been no help at pointing out the shit she had to put up with.
Is seeing her true self worth causing her pain?
He groaned and dropped into his chair.
She’d compelled him. That was the only explanation. She’d cast the same spell on him that she had on the entire nation almost two decades ago when she’d started acting. Now, all he longed for was a disenchantment.
Do you really?
His phone rang on the desk, saving him from that pathetic thought.
It was his mother.
He picked up.“Pronto, mamma.”
“Vedo che ti ricordi ancora di avere una madre.”I see you still remember you’ve got a mother.
His mouth twitched with a smile.“Sei stata bene?”Have you been well?
“It’d be a lie if I said I was,” she griped. “You haven’t called me in a month but spoke to your father earlier this week. Why? Is it because I can’t talk business I’m of no use to you?”
Was it fair for her to be so endearing at this age?
“I haven’t called because I was settling things with the board members here. After that I got busy with the European branch. They had a couple setbacks. I was informed that father had gotten involved again and made sure to step in.”
“Involved? Didn’t the doctors tell him to take it easy?”
Nicolas braced himself for the incoming rant.
“Quel vecchio testardo.”That stubborn old man. “What’sthe point of retiring if he’s still going to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong? Does he have to die to realize how serious a recurrence could be?”
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been so distracted.”
“Yes, what—orwho—has caused you to be this distracted, Nicolas?” she asked, as if the answer was already in the palm of her hand.
